Q&A: Should veterinary practices be open Saturday?

Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board members were asked the question: Should veterinary practices be open on Saturday?

Ernie Ward Jr., DVM - My general advice is to open half day on Saturdays if you feel you need to and want to. Incremental, smaller extended hours don't gain much and may harm job satisfaction.

James Guenther DVM, CVPM, MBA - I would bet that Saturday is the busiest day of the week. The question is, why are they only open for four hours instead of eight, and why do so many owners put their B team in on the busiest day of the week?

Shawn Gatesman - Some practices are open with a “skeleton staff,” primarily as a service to clients that really want it, not as much to make money that day. Others, I suspect, are more fully staffed like a weekday and probably find themselves very busy, and profitable, on Saturdays.

Jim Kramer, DVM, CVPM - At one time we were open on Saturdays until 6 p.m., then after many years until 3 p.m. and now for many years from 9 a.m. to noon. I've learned that it's easier to staff days when we are open than when we are closed with an after-hours crew. When our receptionists and doctors come in, things are done better, more easily and with less negative consequences than when we're staffed with an after-hours crew.

Craig Woloshyn, DVM - I know several practices that claim to gross about 50 percent of a weekday on a Saturday, but if you subtract the expenses, it doesn't seem worth it to me.